02/13/2026, 07:2102/13/2026, 07:21
Oscar winner Halle Berry (“Monster’s Ball”) criticizes the fact that women are often discriminated against because of their age – including Hollywood stars. “I hate this sexism in its purest form,” she said.
Actress Halle Berry criticizes sexism in the industry.Image: AP Invision
“Every time I read my name it says: 59-year-old Halle Berry,” she told the German news agency DPA in London. The age of her male colleagues doesn’t matter. “But with women, that’s all that matters.”
This is discussed in the thriller “Crime 101”. Berry plays insurance broker Sharon, who fights against sexism and age discrimination in her agency. “I’m turning 60 this year. And that’s exactly why it was so meaningful for me,” said the US actress. «I think that as women we have long felt that we are defined by a number. And if it increases, we will be devalued.”
“He put something out there. And I was angry!”
To make her reaction seem particularly authentic, Berry didn’t want to know in advance what Sharon’s boss Mark (played by Paul Adelstein) would say to her in a scene. She told director Bart Layton: “I can give you a reaction, but it’s not real if he doesn’t say something that evokes something in me.” Adelstein then surprised her in front of the camera – successfully. “He put something out there. And I was angry!”
As in the film, Berry doesn’t put up with sexism and age discrimination in his private life either. “I refuse to accept something like that because I’m not ashamed of my age,” she emphasized. “This should be something that makes me great. I’m still here. It is a blessing to grow older. It’s a gift. I have so much wisdom and I have learned so much along the way. Now is not the time to get rid of me.”
In addition to Berry, Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo play the main roles in “Crime 101”. In the thriller, which is based on the novel of the same name by best-selling author Don Winslow, a diamond robber (Hemsworth) wants to pull off one last big coup in which he needs the help of an insurance broker for the super-rich (Berry). But a police officer (Mark Ruffalo) is already on his trail. (sda/dpa)